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[divisionbyzorro]

"Win the game" uncommons are such a bummer for limited.

Though that one is way tamer than Overrun.

It's a necessary evil. It's better to have uncommon "let's end the game now" cards than to have games routinely turn into board stalls, which is a very hard thing to design around in a core set that doesn't give a lot of mechanic flexibility.

On another note: I drafted DGR for the first time last night. I went in hoping to draft aggressive to get underneath everybody trying to do "sweet" stuff. The Dragon's Maze pack gave me some sweet Gruul stuff, but the Gatecrash and RTR packs didn't cooperate. I had to add a third color to get enough playables, and that was my downfall. I ended up Naya, with infinite 2/3 drops. My opponents literally gave me wins by being greedy with the draft; when you have a bear followed up with a 3/3 and removal, your five-color opponent just can't assemble things in time.

Unfortunately, my white splash was the reason I lost. I had to mulligan an otherwise amazing hand in M2G3 because I had 2 of my 4 plains in my opener as my only lands. My 6 had no lands, and my 5 wasn't enough. Ended up 1-1, but I'm confident that my plan was good. I just need to be more disciplined with my colors, and take gates more highly in Dragon's Maze in case I do end up being forced to splash. I think everybody thinks that aggro is dead, but a clean 2-color deck with a good curve and removal for blockers seems really good right now with everybody still trying to push their manabases as hard as they can. Cluestones don't block, after all.

 

[rCIZZLE]

Getting back into standard for the first time in a couple years since it's becoming a lot more popular again at my LGS. Didn't want to build anything where the price would plummet post-rotation and one that was different enough to not have any dedicated strategies against it. Ended up choosing an aggressive BUG list with the undying and rapid hybridization synergy and duskmantle seer to top off the curve.

Still a lot of changes to come but here's the list I used yesterday at the weekly:

Creatures (25)
4x Strangleroot Geist
4x Young Wolf
1x Skirdag High Priest
3x Dreg Mangler
2x Wolfir Avenger
3x Duskmantle Seer
1x Evil Twin
4x Experiment One
2x Zameck Guildmage
1x Varolz the Scar-Striped

Spells (13)
1x Rancor (couldn't find my other 2)
4x Spell Rupture
4x Rapid Hybridization
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Devour Flesh

Lands (22)
4x Overgrown Tomb
4x Watery Grave
4x Breeding Pool
2x Drowned Catacombs
1x Woodland Cemetary (looking for rest)
1x Hinterland Harbor (looking for 1-2 more)
4x Forest
2x Swamp

Sideboard (15)
2x Tragic Slip
1x Deathrite Shaman (need 2 more, possibly moving to main)
3x Vampire Nighthawk
1x Abrupt Decay
1x Appetite for Brains
1x Putrefy
2x Simic Charms
2x Ultimate Price
1x Sever the Bloodline
1x Devour Flesh

Went 3-1 and likely would have won had I not punted Games 2 and 3 in the last match. Rapid Hybridization was amazing. Skirdag always was targeted with prime removal which is absolutely fine. Spell Rupture just ended most games as did a resolved Duskmantle Seer when I had board position. The only changes I'm looking to make are removing the underwhelming Zameck Guildmages for Rancors and adding more hate for Junk Rites and Zombies to my MB since they were the most common decks by far.

Anybody got any thoughts/tips/things to add in general about my list so far? Only took this to one small weekly so there's probably some popular things that will give me a lot of trouble that I'm overlooking.

 

[Emitan]

Sadly the card shop didn't have any event decks and the one I wanted was $40 online. Friend gave me some cards to make a deck though.

4 Overgrown Battlement
4 Wall of Omens
2 Avenger of Zendikar
3 Stalwart Shield-Bearers
2 Perimeter Captain
1 Engulfing Slagwurm
1 Sunblast Angel
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Tree of Redemption
2 Wall of Tanglecord
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

1 Luminarch Ascension
3 Cultivate
2 Smite
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Path to Exile
1 Safe Passage
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Moment's Peace
2 Journey to Nowhere

2 Tectonic Edge
10 Forest
12 Plains

 

[alternade]

Ugh. Been in a losing streak for too long! Grand Prix coming up and want to at least make a showing.

 

[noquarter]

So they went what I guess you could describe as "Full Friday Night Magic"?

That was always the prediction back in the days of smokey card shops on Friday night, talking about how Wizards was surely going to make the game all about gigantic 11/11 monsters for like 5 mana and that Counterspell would cost 4UUU and drawing cards would be criminal. Basically catering towards middle school students that like to turn big numbered monsters sideways and less about creativity and skills and more about who gets their Wurm down first.

I know that's not the case now, just the cynical direction we always joked about the game going down. Mentioning that they've basically reversed the power of Creatures and Spells over the last 15 years reminded me of that.

Back when I was in high school and Tempest block was new, this is what we wanted. We just played casually though and having come back a decade later it was interesting to see. Still like the way the game has turned up, but really only enjoy playing with Legacy decks since they remind me of simpler times (and better card borders. And better art.)

 

["God's Beard!"]

I go to art school and we got to hang out with one of the Magic artists today!

 

[Emitan]

Oh god I just realized I can't shuffle cards at all. It's much harder with covers on.

 

[bigkrev]

Oh god I just realized I can't shuffle cards at all. It's much harder with covers on.

Just pile shuffle. It will save you some life on your sleaves

 

[The Technomancer]

So what would you guys call the inverse Power 9? The worst cards ever printed? Wood Elemental seems like an obvious first inclusion.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

LSV uploads his first DGR draft. Opens a Ral Zarek. Must be nice to be LSV.

Haha. Then he picks a Blast of Genius that magically turns into a Dimir Cluestone.

 

[Sinatar]

So what would you guys call the inverse Power 9? The worst cards ever printed? Wood Elemental seems like an obvious first inclusion.

6 mana 3/4 that you can discard cards to give fear?

Where do I sign up!

Some other failstars

 

[The Technomancer]

6 mana 3/4 that you can discard cards to give fear?

Where do I sign up!

A contendor, although I don't know if its Chimney Imp bad

 

[An-Det]

Oh god I just realized I can't shuffle cards at all. It's much harder with covers on.

I'm the other way around, shuffling plain cards is damn hard for me after so many years of playing with sleeves. It just feels wrong.

 

[Emitan]

I'm the other way around, shuffling plain cards is damn hard for me after so many years of playing with sleeves. It just feels wrong.

To be fair I can't shuffle plain cards either.

 

[noquarter]

So what would you guys call the inverse Power 9? The worst cards ever printed? Wood Elemental seems like an obvious first inclusion.

I have to vote for this being one of the worst.

 

[kirblar]

No "One With Nothing" yet?

Me am disappoint.

 

[The Technomancer]

No "One With Nothing" yet?

Me am disappoint.

I could have sworn I read once that One With Nothing was sideboarded into a couple tournament decks

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I could have sworn I read once that One With Nothing was sideboarded into a couple tournament decks

I believe it was the most feel-bad way to deal with Owling Mine decks.

 

[Totakeke]

Owling Mine looks fun.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Hey magic bros,

My brother in law has gotten into this game quite deep lately. His birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, so what is a good magic-related gift? Around $40-$50? He's gone to a couple tournaments, if that gives you some indication of his interest level. Sorry if this is uselessly vague, I don't know much about the game and I can't ask him about the specifics without showing my hand, so to speak.

 

[Sinatar]

Hey magic bros,

My brother in law has gotten into this game quite deep lately. His birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, so what is a good magic-related gift? Around $40-$50? He's gone to a couple tournaments, if that gives you some indication of his interest level. Sorry if this is uselessly vague, I don't know much about the game and I can't ask him about the specifics without showing my hand, so to speak.

Fat pack is a pretty good gift in that price range. Bunch of boosters, land, some deck boxes and a die.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Thanks for the quick reply! Checked out amazon, seems like the Ravinica fat pack is a hit with the kids . Bought.

Thanks again.

 

[bigkrev]

LSV uploads his first DGR draft. Opens a Ral Zarek. Must be nice to be LSV.

Haha. Then he picks a Blast of Genius that magically turns into a Dimir Cluestone.

Last game is glorious. 1 lander, everyone in the room tells him to mulligan, Shuhei Nakamura tells him to keep, so he does and is rewarded.

Ben Stark spends he entire game apologizing to the viewer and telling us to never do that.

 

[platypotamus]

Ben Stark spends he entire game apologizing to the viewer and telling us to never do that.

One land is totally keepable in select circumstances, especially when you are on the draw.

 

[Haly]

This is what separates a pro from a noob.

Being able to draw exactly what you need exactly when you need it.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Listing terrible cards and not a single one from the execrable Homelands set?

or awful lands from legends?

 

[Yeef]

 

[ThLunarian]

So what would you guys call the inverse Power 9? The worst cards ever printed? Wood Elemental seems like an obvious first inclusion.

Wow I'd never seen Fasting before it just got posted. That's on my list.

Others include One With Nothing, Sorrow's Path, Great Wall, Adventurer's Guildhouse, Norin the Wary, Force of Savagery, Tempting Wurm, and Ice Cauldron (for being so unbelievably wordy and confusing more than anything else)

 

[kirblar]

The G/W deck is super legit. It's very awkward for a lot of decks in the format, especially when it goes hyper-enchantments in certain matchups.

 

[Yeef]

Wow I'd never seen Fasting before it just got posted. That's on my list.

Others include One With Nothing, Sorrow's Path, Great Wall, Adventurer's Guildhouse, Norin the Wary, Force of Savagery, Tempting Wurm, and Ice Cauldron (for being so unbelievably wordy and confusing more than anything else)

Whoa!

I know we're all having a good time, but let's not lose our heads!

Spoiler

(Norin the Wary is the best card).

 

[Hero]

The G/W deck is super legit. It's very awkward for a lot of decks in the format, especially when it goes hyper-enchantments in certain matchups.

Got a link to a list?

 

[Speevy]

 

[kirblar]

Got a link to a list?

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1123989

I thought the shell was viable, but thankfully, this guy put in the work that I couldn't.

 

[Lucario]

dear WoTC:

print more 1-3 drops for commander cube. Mana rocks make green useless except for unfun bombs, make allied colors overpowered, and make the game too focused on ramp -> fat.


..... still STUPID fun, but I need to make aggro possible. c'mon WoTC.

 

[Hero]

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1123989

I thought the shell was viable, but thankfully, this guy put in the work that I couldn't.

Yeah that list looks really solid. Druid's Deliverance with both the Wurm token cards seems pretty bonkers.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

So what should I do with this Legion's Initiative I got in this DGR draft? I can't decide if I should just dump it now, or hold on to it.

Also managed to open a foil Deathrite Shaman. I know I'm holding onto that card - that's only going to go up.

 

[ultron87]

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1123989

I thought the shell was viable, but thankfully, this guy put in the work that I couldn't.

Are the Evolving Wilds in there just for Deathrite value out of the sideboard?

 

[sammich]

Dunno if this was posted yet:

http://www.geekosystem.com/magic-vastwood-hydra/

 

[Sinatar]

Are the Evolving Wilds in there just for Deathrite value out of the sideboard?

Looks that way.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Well, that's two straight DGR drafts where I'm forced to mulligan myself out of contention in round two (at least this one was just honestly getting screwed, as opposed to a bad draft forcing a bad manabase). Although, to be fair, it was going to be very difficult to beat the triple Bloodfray Giant guy anyway. At least this draft yielded some decent value cards: Ash Zealot, foil Deathrite Shaman, and Legion's Initiative. It technically "paid for itself," although that Shaman is certainly going to hang out in my collection for a while.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

dear WoTC:

print more 1-3 drops for commander cube. Mana rocks make green useless except for unfun bombs, make allied colors overpowered, and make the game too focused on ramp -> fat.


..... still STUPID fun, but I need to make aggro possible. c'mon WoTC.

I know I've seen some people talk about Commander Cubes before, but do you have any tips or links on how to get one started? I'm intrigued. And how would drafting Generals work?

 

[FieryBalrog]

I know I've seen some people talk about Commander Cubes before, but do you have any tips or links on how to get one started? I'm intrigued. And how would drafting Generals work?

I've seen it played locally... the main thing I know is that it takes fucking forever, lol. Never tried it for that reason.

 

[Takuan]

The G/W deck is super legit. It's very awkward for a lot of decks in the format, especially when it goes hyper-enchantments in certain matchups.

Damn, I'm 3 Advents, 4 Voices, and 3 Temple Gardens away from making that deck. Too rich for my blood, though.

 

[JulianImp]

It looks like my LGS is going to start hosting less Standard and more RTR Block events in the coming weeks, so I've been thinking about how I should refit my BUG deck to be playable without any INN or M13 cards in it. Here's my currently untested build:

Lands (24)
3 Breeding Pool
3 Simic Guildgate
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Golgari Guildgate
2 Watery Grave
2 Dimir Guildgate
5 Forest
4 Island
1 Swamp

Creatures (22)
4 Cloudfin Raptor
1 Deathrite Shaman
2 Experiment One
1 Lotleth Troll
4 Shambleshark
2 Vorel of the Hull Clade
2 Dreg Mangler
3 Deadbridge Goliath
2 Ætherling
1 Prime Speaker Zegana

Other spells (14)
3 Spell Rupture
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Far//Away
3 Putrefy
1 Plasm Capture

Sideboard
2 Pithing Needle
4 Dispel
4 Contaminated Ground
2 Golgari Charm
3 Ætherize

The deck no longer has enough flash creatures to play like it used to, so I limited myself to a more straightforward creature-based approach with a +1/+1 counter subtheme. I've been considering running Crowned Ceratok for the trample it gives, but I've already been forced to cut Corpsejack Menace since it sadly didn't do anything on its own, so I guess I won't be running the rhino either.

The sideboard's sort of wacky, mostly since I learned my standard BUG deck was quite weak against control decks; playing Contaminated Ground to screw with the current three-plus-color manabases that are being run in most decks sounds like it could work (despite not earning me a card like Spreading Seas used to back in Zendikar). Ætherize could be a bit weak given all the removal I'm currently running, but I thought I needed some additional protection against creature-based decks (perhaps I could run Simic Charms instead?).

Any feedback would be appreciated, but just keep in mind I'm merely building this deck for doing relatively well at my local FNM and experimenting with my favorite guild combo (simic/golgari). I'd love to run some mana acceleration, but I don't think there're any useful accelerating cards at all in this block.

 

[Zoibie]

Megantic Sliver 5G
Sliver creatures you control get +3/+3
3/3

http://io9.com/magic-the-gatherings-summer-set-preview-megantic-s-505918785

A solid addition to a sliver deck, I guess. I don't know, slivers just don't seem that exciting to me.

 

[The Technomancer]

Megantic Sliver 5G
Sliver creatures you control get +3/+3
3/3

http://io9.com/magic-the-gatherings-summer-set-preview-megantic-s-505918785

A solid addition to a sliver deck, I guess. I don't know, slivers just don't seem that exciting to me.

I feel pretty good about that one, since it shows that not all new Slivers are just going to be metalic looking normal sized humanoids.

 

[Haly]

DrillPressUEd Grabianowski1L
I know nothing of this game's mechanics, but the artwork constantly amazes me.

Lament with me, my brothers, for the casuals have taken over our tribe.

 

[Crocodile]

Megantic Sliver 5G
Sliver creatures you control get +3/+3
3/3

http://io9.com/magic-the-gatherings-summer-set-preview-megantic-s-505918785

A solid addition to a sliver deck, I guess. I don't know, slivers just don't seem that exciting to me.

This is a good card but honestly, if you just showed me a picture of this sans type-line or rules text I'd assume it was a Treefolk. These Slivers also look a lot different between each other than past Slivers did even between colors. Not a good thing IMO.

 

[OnPoint]

Megantic Sliver 5G
Sliver creatures you control get +3/+3
3/3

http://io9.com/magic-the-gatherings-summer-set-preview-megantic-s-505918785

A solid addition to a sliver deck, I guess. I don't know, slivers just don't seem that exciting to me.

They have distilled them down to "personal tribal synergy" instead of "tribal risk-reward". I hate it.

 

[kirblar]

They have distilled them down to "personal tribal synergy" instead of "tribal risk-reward". I hate it.

They'll play better this way. They were always incredibly awkward in limited.